Ethereum extends rally on ETF Inflows and Blob upgrade, but RSI flags caution

  • Ethereum ETF inflows and whale accumulation boost the ETH price rally.
  • The BPO hard fork has raised the blob limit, improving Ethereum scalability.
  • An overbought RSI signals possible short-term volatility despite strong.

Ethereum has continued its upward price momentum, extending a strong weekly rally even as the broader crypto market slipped slightly.

At press time, Ethereum (ETH) was up 1.13% over the past 24 hours, building on a robust 7-day gain of roughly 9.60%.

These price gains come despite a modest 0.44% decline in the overall crypto market, underscoring Ethereum’s relative strength.

The ETH bullish momentum is underpinned by a combination of institutional demand, improving Ethereum scalability, and favourable on-chain dynamics.

However, technical indicators suggest that caution may be warranted in the near term with the RSI currently in the overbought region.

ETF inflows reinforce Ethereum’s institutional narrative

One of the key catalysts for the Ethereum rally has been sustained inflows into spot Ethereum ETFs.

Data from Coinglass shows that spot Ethereum ETFs attracted approximately $114.7 million in net inflows on January 6, 2026.

These inflows occurred even as some legacy products recorded outflows, suggesting fresh institutional capital is entering the market.

For investors, ETF demand signals growing confidence in Ethereum as a long-term, regulated asset.

It also helps absorb potential selling pressure, providing price stability during periods of broader market uncertainty.

Market participants increasingly view ETF flows as a barometer of institutional sentiment, similar to how YCharts data is often used to track macro trends across traditional assets.

Blob Parameter-Only hard fork boosts Ethereum scalability

Beyond demand-side factors, Ethereum’s fundamentals have improved following recent network upgrades.

The Fusaka upgrade, activated in December 2025, introduced meaningful enhancements to Ethereum scalability.

Central to this progress is the Blob Parameter-Only hard fork, commonly referred to as the BPO hard fork.

The BPO hard fork, which went live on Wednesday at 1:01:11 UTC, raised the blob limit per block, increasing the amount of data that can be processed efficiently.

By expanding blob capacity, Ethereum reduced data costs for Layer-2 rollups without overburdening the base layer.

This design aligns with Ethereum’s long-term rollup-centric roadmap championed by Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin.

Lower Layer-2 fees have already translated into stronger network usage, with daily transactions reaching multi-month highs.

The BPO upgrade also improves conditions for advanced scaling solutions, including zero-knowledge Ethereum virtual machines (zkEVMs).

These zkEVMs rely heavily on efficient data availability, making the higher blob limit a structural advantage.

Developers view BPO as a stepping stone toward even larger upgrades, including the planned Glamsterdam hard fork, which is expected later in 2026.

The Glamsterdam hard fork is expected to further enhance throughput and computational efficiency across the Ethereum ecosystem.

Together, these changes strengthen Ethereum’s value proposition as a scalable settlement layer for decentralised applications.

Whale accumulation supports price, but momentum overheats

On-chain data adds another layer of support to Ethereum’s bullish narrative.

Large holders, often referred to as whales, have accumulated more than 3.62 million ETH over the past month, according to CryptoQuant data.

At the same time, Ethereum exchange reserves have fallen to levels not seen in nearly nine years.

Ethereum Exchange Reserve
Source: CryptoQuant

Reduced exchange balances typically imply lower immediate selling pressure.

This pattern suggests that long-term holders are positioning for higher prices rather than short-term exits.

However, momentum indicators are beginning to flash warning signs.

Ethereum’s relative strength index (RSI) has climbed to around 64, placing it near the overbought territory.

Historically, such elevated RSI readings can precede short-term pullbacks or periods of consolidation.

Upcoming derivatives events, including near-term options expiries, could amplify volatility.

Ethereum price forecast

Ethereum’s medium- to long-term outlook remains constructive, supported by ETF inflows, improving Ethereum scalability, and a declining liquid supply.

The Blob Parameter-Only hard fork and higher blob limit strengthen the network’s technical foundation and support Layer-2 growth.

Continued progress toward upgrades like the Glamsterdam hard fork keeps Ethereum aligned with Vitalik Buterin’s long-term vision.

Currently, the immediate resistance for ETH lies at the 100-day EMA at $3,307, which, if broken, could open the door for further gains towards the next resistance at the 200-day EMA at $3,352.

Ethereum price analysis
Ethereum price analysis | Source: TradingView

In the short term, however, the elevated RSI suggests traders should be prepared for potential price fluctuations that could pull Ethereum down to the support at the 50-day EMA at $3,132.

But if ETF inflows remain strong and on-chain accumulation persists, any pullback may be shallow.

Overall, Ethereum appears well-positioned for further gains, but near-term caution is warranted as momentum cools.

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Render price forecast: Will RNDR hit the $3 level soon?

Key takeaways

  • RNDR is trading at $2.43 after adding 14% to its value in the last 24 hours.
  • The coin is up 87% in the past seven days, making it one of the best performers in the top 100.

RNDR hits $2.5 after an 87% rally in seven days

RNDR, the native coin of Render, a decentralized network that provides decentralized (Graphics Processing Unit) GPU compute service, is one of the best performers among the top 100 cryptocurrencies by market cap in the last seven days.

The coin is up 87% in the last seven days and is now trading at $2.43 per coin. Thanks to the latest rally, Render’s market capitalization now stands above $1.2 billion, surpassing that of other popular coins, such as ATOM and FIL.

Data obtained from Santiment shows that Render’s trading volume reached $181.36 million on Tuesday, the highest since November 7. The trading volume has been steadily rising since December, indicating that traders’ interest and liquidity in Render are increasing. 

Furthermore, Daily Active Addresses rose from 54 on December 26 to 536 on Tuesday, the highest level since October 12. This suggests that demand for RENDER’s blockchain usage is increasing. 

Finally, the derivative demand for RNDR is also increasing. According to CoinGlass, RNDR’s futures Open Interest (OI) on exchanges rose from $28.90 million on Thursday to $65.89 million on Tuesday, the highest level since October 17. The rising OI indicates new money is entering the market, which could see RNDR’s price appreciate even further. 

Is RNDR heading towards $3.0?

The RNDR/USD 4-hour chart is bullish and efficient thanks to the coin adding 87% to its value in the last seven days. Its recent rally allowed it to surpass the 50-day EMA and 100-day EMA at $1.70 and $2.08, respectively

If the uptrend continues, RNDR could extend the rally toward the 200-day EMA at $2.73. An extended bullish run would see RNDR trade above $3 for the first time since the October 10 flushing event. 

RNDR/USD 4H Chart

The Relative Strength Index (RSI) on the 4-hour chart is at 84, above its overbought level, indicating strong bullish momentum. 

Furthermore, the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) indicator shows a bullish crossover and rising green histogram bars above the neutral level.

However, if the market undergoes a correction, RNDR could extend its decline to the 100-day EMA and support level at $2.08.

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STX faces key resistance at $0.39 after 7% rally

Key takeaways

  • Stacks’ STX is up nearly 7% in the last 24 hours and is trading at $0.378.
  • The coin could retrace towards $0.35 thanks to the $0.39 resistance level.

STX  hits $0.39 amid growing TVL

STX, the native coin of Stacks, a layer-2 protocol built on Bitcoin, is trading at $0.37 after adding 7% to its value in the last 24 hours. 

The rally comes as Stacks is experiencing a growing Total Value Locked (TVL). Data obtained from DeFiLlama shows that Bitcoin’s TVL is at $7.176 billion, up from $6.728 billion last week. 

There is a renewed interest in Bitcoin’s DeFi utility, with Stacks one of the leading DeFi platforms on the Bitcoin blockchain. 

Furthermore, DeFiLlama data shows that Stacks TVL is at $129.73 million, up from $116.62 million last week. 

Retail traders are also renewing interest in the network. Stacks futures Open Interest (OI) currently stands at $27.79 million, up from the $16 million recorded a week ago. This suggests a capital inflow driven by renewed risk-on sentiment among traders. 

STX could retrace below $0.35 if the $0.39 resistance holds

The STX/USD 4-hour chart is bullish and efficient after STX added 17% to its value since hitting the $0.3060 50-day EMA level on Sunday. At press time, STX is trading at $0.3781 and could rally higher in the near term.

STX/USD 4H Chart

If it extends its gains, STX could surge towards the $0.413 resistance level for the first time since November 13. An extended bullish run would allow STX to hit $0.50 for the first time since the October 10 deleveraging event.

The Relative Strength Index (RSI) on the 4-hour chart is at 83, suggesting heightened buying pressure. However, with the RSI in the overbought region, STX could undergo a slight correction in the near term. 

If that happens, STX could retest the $0.3500 resistance-turned-support level, with the 50-day EMA at $0.3060 expected to be a strong support zone.

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SUI surges 17% on Mysten Labs promotion, eyes $2.3

Key takeaways

  • SUI is up 17% in the last 24 hours and is now trading at $1.95.
  • The rally comes as Mysten Labs researchers explore privacy features for blockchains, placing Sui alongside Ethereum and Solana in the account-based model.

SUI tops $1.95 after 17% rally

SUI, the native coin of the Sui blockchain, is up 17% in the last 24 hours, making it the best performer among the top 20 cryptocurrencies by market cap. The coin is now trading at $1.95, close to a two-month high, thanks to this rally.

The rally comes following a recent paper by Mysten Labs researchers that explores privacy features for blockchains, placing Sui alongside Ethereum and Solana in the account-based model.

The paper places Sui firmly within the account-based model, alongside Ethereum and Solana. It also looked at how such systems could implement confidential balances, limited anonymity sets, or sender-receiver unlinkability using cryptographic primitives such as homomorphic encryption and zero-knowledge proofs.

In addition to that, on-chain and derivatives data suggest growing market participation. Data obtained from Santiment shows that the Sui ecosystem’s trading volume reached $967.43 million on Tuesday, the highest since early December. This surge suggests that traders are taking an interest in Sui again following the poor performance recorded last month. 

According to DeFiLlama, Sui’s Total Value Locked (TVL) has been steadily rising since the end of December, reaching $1.04 billion on Tuesday.

Furthermore, CoinGlass’s derivatives data shows that SUI futures Open Interest (OI) at exchanges rose to $947.26 million on Tuesday, up from $685 million recorded a week ago.

SUI could surge to the $2.34 level

The SUI/USD 4-hour chart is bullish and efficient as Sui has added 34% to its value in the last seven days. The coin is now trading around $1.95 and could surge higher in the near term. 

If the bullish trend continues, SUI could extend the rally toward the weekly resistance level at $2.34. The momentum indicators currently support further bullish movements. 

SUI/USD 4H Chart

The Relative Strength Index (RSI) on the 4-hour chart is 85, above the overbought threshold, indicating strong bullish momentum. 

Furthermore, the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) indicator shows a bullish crossover and rising green histogram bars above the neutral level.

However, if the market undergoes a correction, 

On the other hand, if SUI corrects, it could extend the decline toward the 50-day EMA at $1.66.

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Morgan Stanley files a Form S-1 application for Solana Trust in the US

  • Morgan Stanley files S-1 for a trust tracking Bitcoin(BTC) and Solana (SOL).
  • The trust will stake SOL, reflecting rewards in its NAV.
  • SOL price rises 2.44%, breaking key Fibonacci resistance.

Morgan Stanley has officially filed a Form S-1 application with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to establish Bitcoin and Solana Trusts.

The move highlights the bank’s growing interest in the cryptocurrency sector. It also reflects Morgan Stanley’s strategy to provide clients with diverse investment opportunities in digital assets.

The proposed Solana Trust will allow investors to gain indirect exposure to Solana (SOL) without holding the cryptocurrency directly.

Morgan Stanley’s institutional push into Solana

The S-1 filing outlines plans to structure the Solana Trust as a Delaware statutory trust.

Shares in the trust are expected to track the performance of SOL through a designated pricing benchmark.

The trust will also stake a portion of its Solana holdings through regulated third-party providers.

This staking mechanism allows rewards to be reflected in the fund’s net asset value (NAV).

Morgan Stanley’s involvement signals regulatory confidence in Solana-based financial products.

It mirrors the adoption path of Bitcoin ETFs, which saw significant inflows after bank-backed launches.

The trust is passively managed, meaning it will hold Solana without active trading or leverage.

Custody arrangements will involve regulated third parties to safeguard investor assets.

The S-1 filing remains preliminary, with sales permitted only after SEC effectiveness.

Investors seeking exposure to Solana through traditional brokerage accounts now have a potential path via this trust.

Implications for the crypto market

Institutional adoption like this tends to reduce sell pressure on staked assets.

Already, over 563 million SOL are staked across the network, supporting price stability.

The bank’s Bitcoin product will be called Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust.

The trust will hold Bitcoin outright similar to the Solana Trust, without the use of derivatives or leverage, and will calculate its net asset value daily based on a pricing benchmark drawn from major spot exchanges.

The fund will follow a passive strategy and will not actively trade Bitcoin in response to market conditions.

Notably, Morgan Stanley’s filing follows Bitwise’s $16.8 million Solana ETF inflows earlier this week.

It also coincides with a broader trend of altcoin rotation, as Bitcoin dominance dips and investors seek high-beta opportunities.

Regulators’ response will be closely watched, particularly in relation to the VanEck Solana ETF decision due by October 2026.

Market participants see this as a positive signal for Solana’s long-term growth and liquidity.

Solana price reaction

Solana’s price has responded to these developments with a notable rally.

In the past 24 hours, Solana (SOL) has risen by 2.44% to $138.77, outperforming Bitcoin (BTC) and closely tracking Ethereum (ETH).

The altcoin’s trading volume has also surged 43% to $5.1 billion, marking the strongest trading activity since December 2025.

Technical analysis shows SOL has cleared the 23.6% Fibonacci retracement at $138.45 and the 7-day SMA at $130.5.

Solana price analysis
Solana price analysis | Source: TradingView

The MACD histogram has also turned positive, confirming bullish momentum, and RSI-14 is also bullish, although nearing the overbought region.

The next resistance is at $151.18, with support at $117.88, aligning with Fibonacci levels.

The market will likely monitor whether SOL holds above the $138.45 support level to confirm continued bullish momentum.

The upcoming options expiry on January 7, however, adds a layer of short-term volatility, with $145 million in SOL contracts set to expire.

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